Mucosal α4β7+ Lymphocytes and MAdCAM+ Venules Predict Response to Vedolizumab in Ulcerative Colitis.

Background: Therapeutic strategies for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) are based on patient- and disease-related factors in combination with drug characteristics but fail to predict success in individual patients. A considerable proportion of UC patients do not respond to the biological vedolizumab. Therefore, pretreatment biomarkers for therapeutic efficacy are urgently needed.

Distribution of mucosal PD-1 expressing T cells in patients with colitis of different etiologies.

Background: Immunotherapy, targeting programmed death-1 (PD-1) enhances antitumor T-cell activity in patients with malignancies. Blocking PD-1 or its ligand may lead to fulminant colitis as serious adverse event in these patients. Since little is known of the presence and role of PD-1T cells in colitis of different etiologies, we determined PD-1T cells in mucosal specimens of patients with inflammatory bowel disease, infectious colitis (InfC), immunotherapy-related colitis (ImC) and healthy controls (HC).

Development of Mucosal PNAd and MAdCAM-1 Venules during Disease Course in Ulcerative Colitis.

PNAd and MAdCAM-1 addressins on venules are of importance in T-cell homing and potential therapeutic targets in ulcerative colitis (UC). Normally, PNAd high endothelial venules (HEVs) are only present in lymphoid organs, whereas small numbers of MAdCAM-1 venules can be seen in non-lymphoid tissue. We aimed to study their presence in the intestinal mucosa of UC patients at diagnosis and during follow-up, and their correlation with disease activity.

Intestinal CD103+CD4+ and CD103+CD8+ T-Cell Subsets in the Gut of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients at Diagnosis and During Follow-up.

Background: The integrin CD103 is proposed to be a potential therapeutical target in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as it can form a heterodimeric integrin with β7 (Etrolizumab, anti-β7 integrin) on epithelial T cells. Therefore, we aimed to study the frequencies of different intestinal CD103+T-cell subsets, both CD4+ and CD8+, in newly diagnosed, untreated IBD patients at baseline and during follow-up, compared with healthy controls.

Methods: Intestinal biopsies from inflamed segments during colonoscopy and peripheral blood samples were prospectively taken from IBD patients at diagnosis and during follow-up.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Is Not a Contraindication for Bariatric Surgery.

Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are listed as a contraindication for bariatric surgery in various guidelines due to a theoretical higher complication risk. Therefore, little is known about safety and efficacy of bariatric surgery in IBD patients.

Aim: We assessed the safety and efficacy of bariatric surgery and postoperative quality of life (QoL) in IBD patients.

Intestinal T Cell Profiling in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Linking T Cell Subsets to Disease Activity and Disease Course.

Introduction: A dysregulated intestinal T cell response is presumed in patients with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD]. In this longitudinal study, we investigated the changes in intestinal T lymphocyte subsets in IBD at first presentation and over time during endoscopic active or inactive disease, and relate them to disease activity and outcome.

Methods: We included 129 newly diagnosed patients (87 Crohn's disease [CD], 42 ulcerative colitis [UC]) and 19 healthy controls [HC].

The value of serum antibodies in differentiating inflammatory bowel disease, predicting disease activity and disease course in the newly diagnosed patient.

Background: Data on serum antibodies in untreated adult inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients at diagnosis are scarcely available, and results on the stability of antibody presence over time are inconsistent. Our aim was to investigate antibodies in newly diagnosed, untreated IBD patients in relation to disease phenotype and course. Furthermore, we analyzed antibody presence over time.

Candidate Serum Markers in Early Crohn's Disease: Predictors of Disease Course.

Background And Aims: More than half of patients with Crohn's disease [CD] develop disease complications requiring aggressive medical therapy or surgery over time. However, predicting disease course and treatment response remains difficult. We therefore identified distinctive serum analytes associated with disease activity and course in newly diagnosed, untreated patients at presentation and during their follow-up.

The Complexity of alpha E beta 7 Blockade in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

Monoclonal antibodies targeting integrins are emerging as new treatment option in inflammatory bowel diseases. Integrins are molecules involved in cell adhesion and signalling. After the successful introduction of anti-α4β7, currently anti-β7 is under evaluation in a phase three trial.

A comparison of the diagnostic value of MRI and F-FDG-PET/CT in suspected spondylodiscitis.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT scan) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosing spondylodiscitis and its complications, such as epidural and paraspinal abscesses.

Methods: From January 2006 to August 2013 patients with a clinical suspicion of spondylodiscitis, with an infection, or with fever of unknown origin were retrospectively included if F-FDG-PET/CT and MRI of the spine were performed within a 2-week time span. Imaging results were compared to the final clinical diagnosis and follow-up data were collected.

On naivety of T cells in inflammatory bowel disease: a review.

: Little is known about different phases of T-cell maturation in gut mucosa. Based on current knowledge about the migratory pathways of naive and memory T cells, it is believed that access to peripheral, nonlymphoid tissues is restricted to memory T cells. Surprisingly, there is increasing evidence of high numbers of naive T cells in the chronically inflamed gut tissue of patients with inflammatory bowel disease.